Becky G says this 'Esquinas' song makes her 'bawl my eyes out' every time she sings it

There’s no place like home, and Becky G is swinging the door open to her casa.

Born Rebbeca Marie Gomez in Inglewood, California, the Latin pop princess found teen stardom in the mid-2010s with hits such as “Can’t Get Enough” and “Shower.” But Becky’s latest album, “Esquinas,” her first studio effort in the regional Mexican genre, finds the singer delving into the nostalgia of her Mexican American roots.

A childhood spent singing with mariachi bands at family gatherings and listening to the sounds of Mexican icons Selena Quintanilla, Jenni Rivera and Vicente Fernández planted the seeds of the album, but it was in Becky’s mourning of her grandfather Miguel Gomez in 2021 that the album took root.

“I was so lucky to have all four of my grandparents very present in my life,” says Becky, who took the stage at the 96th Academy Awards Sunday. “So, losing him was the moment where I knew that time had come.”

And while the 27-year-old has embraced various musical styles over the years – from reggaeton and merengue to bachata and dance-pop – the sound on “Esquinas” comes from the heartbeat of her heritage.

“When I’ve dabbled and played in other genres, nothing about it ever felt like I was just playing a caricature. All of it comes from a place of genuinely being a fan,” Becky says. “But I think with this it’s so different because this is quite literally a part of my blood and my childhood upbringing.”

Becky G reconciles Mexican and American identities with ‘Esquinas’

The map of Becky’s Mexican American heart has no borders.

During childhood visits to Mexico to visit her primos, Becky would chafe at being labeled an American by her Mexican cousins because “in America, they tell me I’m Mexican.”

“The idea that I have to give up half of myself to be accepted on this side or give up the other half of myself to be accepted on that side didn’t feel right because that’s just not who I am,” Becky says. “I identify as a proud Chicana: I’m 100% proud to be Mexican and I’m 100% proud to have been born and raised in Inglewood.”

Seeing herself as the “cross street of two flags, two cultures, two languages,” Becky named her album “Esquinas” (which translates to “corners”) as an homage to her blended cultural identity. The title also challenges the notion that heritage can be boiled down to geography or language.

“I’m Mexican in so many other ways, from the features I share with my grandparents that they’ve passed down, to the way that we work, the way that we get along with our families and our passion. … It’s just so much more than speaking the language,” Becky says. “It’s up to us to create a space where we feel seen, we feel heard and we feel accepted.”

Becky G talks ‘rewarding’ collaborations with regional Mexican stars

Although “Esquinas” marks Becky’s debut in the regional Mexican sphere, the singer joins forces with some of the genre’s biggest stars on the album, including Peso Pluma, Chiquis Rivera and ángela Aguilar. Becky says the collaborations were a natural fit because of her connection to the artists’ bicultural experiences.

“We all have that 200 percenter within us of being very inspired by two different cultures and being able to be bilingual and all of those things,” Becky says. “It just felt so nice and rewarding to be able to share in the experience of these songs and create this album with other people who feel the same and identify in the same way.”

A collaboration that remains close to Becky’s heart is the album’s opener, “2ndo Chance,” which features singer/songwriter Iván Cornejo. The musical linkup almost didn’t happen, Becky says, as the “Da?ado” singer was swamped with tour preparations and worried he couldn’t give her his best work. The “sweet” moment of vulnerability made way for a studio session of candid conversation and In-N-Out takeout.

“We talked for hours, got to know each other and each other’s stories, and shared music with one another,” Becky says. “Even just sitting down with him, I felt connected to my younger self, seeing him as this new up-and-coming artist who’s really killing it and so talented and so hungry and also dealing with the pressures of what it means to represent our people.”

Becky G brings ‘Esquinas’ to life on first headlining tour

Becky is taking Casa Gomez on the road.

The “Chanel” singer, who has opened for acts such as Demi Lovato, Katy Perry and Enrique Iglesias, is performing on the Mi Casa, Tu Casa Tour, which serves as her debut headlining tour. The U.S. trek, which kicked off in September and wraps Oct. 15, has allowed Becky to connect with fans on a more intimate level.

“It’s been incredible,” Becky says of the tour. “I see so many people coming in their outfits and their tejanas (cowboy hats) and their botas (boots), and they’re just ready to have some perreo moments, to cry with me, to laugh with me, and I don’t know what more you can ask for.”

A portion of the show proudly celebrates Becky’s love of Mexican music, including tracks from “Esquinas” and a medley tribute to Selena. Decked out in a sparkly bra, cargo pants and traditional tejana hat, Becky delivers these heartfelt tunes in front of a two-story, house-like set piece with the accompaniment of a soulful regional Mexican ensemble.

“No matter what genre I’m singing, no matter what language I’m singing in, I am always going to be me. I don’t have to prove that I’m Mexican American to anybody,” Becky says. “To be able to showcase all of the work that has gone into ‘Esquinas’ and all of the collaborations leading up to (the album) that have been done with so much intention and so much love means the world to me.”

Becky G evokes raw emotion of regional Mexican music to honor late grandfather

Whether it’s the angst of heartbreak on “Bien Canijo,” the self-empowerment of “Un Pu?o de Tierra” or the sensuality of “Los Astros,” Becky channels the emotional complexity of Mexican culture and her early musical influences on “Esquinas.”

“I would hear songs from Chente (Vicente Fernández) and feel like I wanted to cry, and there would be songs from Jenni that I would listen to that made me want to get up and dance,” Becky says. “We’re very emotional people, and that’s just something that I appreciate so much about our music and something that I remember since a very young age.”

The singer taps this emotional rawness for album closer “Querido Abuelo,” which pays tribute to her grandfather Miguel. The mournful ballad concludes with a sentimental voicemail from Miguel himself: “Don't stop saying that you come from humble people.”

“I go and I sing that song every night onstage, and I bawl my eyes out,” Becky says. “There hasn’t been one time that I’ve walked on that stage and I haven’t cried, and I think it’s because I’m still healing.”

As much as “Esquinas” is a “love letter to the generations before us,” it’s also a call for youth to use the foundation of the past to build their own casa.

“It’s never too late to learn more about where you come from, to be proud of where you come from,” Becky says. “To be able to practice our traditions, but in a way that really represents who we are.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Becky G celebrates Mexican American heritage with new album 'Esquinas'